Fwd II: Heero's Checklist
by blackestfaery
Summary: ONESHOT. 1xR fluff piece that has our Perfect Soldier making a todo list from a very surprising source... “’Possible Lifechanging Document?’” he harrumphed, deadpan as always. “We’ll see.”


Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction.  All characters, terms, and affiliates of Gundam Wing are not mine, but belong to their respective owners, Shin Kidosenki, Bandi, &c.

Notes: Hey, you guys!  I just want to first apologize to those who thought that this is a continuation to my other fic _Fwd. _ It isn't.  There won't be a sequel to that one, since after talking to another author (who's become quite the confidant to the creation of my fanfics – hey Ley!) I decided that it was best that I let you guys imagine the possibilities.  Or, if you want, you guys can write a sequel to it.  If you do, though, would you please send me a link to it?  I'd wanna read it!

But yeah, anyways, did you guys ever get that long forwarded list of "A Few Reasons Why Guys Like Girls?"  I have had that sent to me so many times I've lost count.  Come to think of it, I believe that was the first fwd I ever got, and I'll be damned if that isn't gonna be the last.  It never crossed my mind that I could make this into a fic until I came across it again when reading _Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II.  _I'd give props for whoever started this thing, but even the book didn't have it cited.  So, for the record, I didn't make the list up!  But the plot is mine :)

Alright, hope you guys like it, and please don't forget to review…

Fwd II: Heero's Checklist

written by: Nausicaä

                Duo Maxwell was at it again, scouring the limitless pages of the Internet, downloading a file here and a file there and wrinkling his nose in distaste when he came to a dead link.  Since he'd set up his new, state of the art computer system, he couldn't stop moving with his excitement, let alone sleep.  His continuous tossing and turning had jostled the bed so much that Hilde – for the first time in their married life – had willingly told him to spend some time with the computer.  Feeling guilty but unable to suppress his eagerness, Duo had felt his way through the dark of the house to the computer room.  Now with the computer fired up and his fingers stretched, Duo found himself bathed in the off white glow of his beloved screen, index finger twitching in anticipation of the mouse.  

                "Just checking my email," he singsonged.  "I'll be off in 10 minutes, tops…"

                Ten minutes became thirty, thirty became forty-five, and before Duo knew it, he'd lost all track of time, the backdoors and firewalls of internet security systems begging him to find their internal system flaws.  It was easy prey for a former Gundam pilot, but they had to keep their skills honed somehow.  

                Three hours later and just when he'd succeeded in forcefully pulling his hand away from the mouse, Duo heard the monotonous sound of his computer chirping out a message.

                "You've got mail."  

                "Okay, just one more," he promised to himself.  As much as he loved the sensation of his legs going numb and his eyelids feeling like they were made of sandpaper, the warmth of his wife's body was something he'd gladly destroy the computer to feel.

                Opening his email, Duo looked at the subject and then at the sender incredulously.  "A Few Reasons Why Guys Like Girls, from… _Quatre?"_  Duo couldn't believe it, but despite his tiredness, a cheeky grin graced his features.  "Never knew you did the forward thing before, buddy." 

                Opening the email and reading its contents, Duo couldn't help but let another smile tug his tired features into a more pleasant expression.  He reread the email again, the wheels of his mind churning with the possibilities it presented:

_Hey Duo,_

_                Alright, tease me all you want, but some crazy inner feeling told me to send you this.  What with both of us being married, I just thought you could relate to this more than the others…_

A Few Reasons Why Guys Like Girls 

_1. They always smell good, even if it's just shampoo_

_2. The way their heads always find the right spot on your shoulder_

_3. The ease with which they fit into your arms_

_4. The way they kiss you and all of a sudden everything is right in the world_

_5. How cute they are when they eat_

_6. The way they take hours to dress, but in the end it's all worthwhile_

_7. Because they are always warm, even when it's minus thirty degrees outside_

_8. The way they look good no matter what they wear_

_9. The way they fish for compliments_

_10. How cute they are when they argue_

_11. The way their hands always find yours_

_12. The way they smile_

_13. The way you feel when you see their names on the caller ID after you just had a big fight_

_14. The way they say, "Let's not fight anymore," even though you know an hour later…_

_15. The way they kiss when you do something nice for them_

_16. The way they kiss you when you say, "I love you"_

_17. Actually, just the way they kiss you…_

_18. The way they fall into your arms when they cry_

_19. Then the way they apologize for crying over something silly_

_20. The way they hit you and expect it to hurt_

_21. Then the way they apologize when it does hurt (even though we don't admit it)_

_22. The way they say, "I miss you"_

_23. The way you miss them_

_24. The way their tears make you want to change the world so that it doesn't hurt them anymore_

                Yet regardless of whether you love them, hate them, wish they would die or know that you would die without them… it matters not.  Because once they come into your life, whatever they are to the world, they become everything to you.  When you look them in the eyes, traveling to the depths of their souls, and you say a million things without the trace of a sound, you know that your own life is inevitably consumed within the rhythmic beatings of their very hearts.

_                We love them for a million reasons.  It is a thing not of the mind but of the heart.  A feeling.  Only felt._

_---------------            _

_                And it's doing it again!  I know you usually delete fwds (that is, if you even bother to read them), but that crazy, really-freaking-me-out-now inner feeling is telling me you could do something good with this.  Don't know what it'll be, but if something really big comes up, I'll be the first you'll tell, right?_

_- Q. R. Winner_

                If it had been possible, a light bulb would've lit above Duo's braided head, along with a set of red horns.  But the smile wreathing his face was enough of an indication that he had thought of something.  Chuckling with how smart he was, Duo clicked a button with his mouse and began typing, the lilting tune of "I'm so smart – S-M-R-T"** breathed beneath his breath.

_Subject: Possible Life-changing Document…_

Sanq Kingdom, Earth

                Entering the small bedroom allotted to him in the Peacecraft mansion for the purposes of staying near his charge, Heero Yuy tugged the constricting Preventer jacket off his shoulders, breathing a sigh of satisfaction as the material peeled away.  Trowa Barton had just relieved him of his sentry duties, and truth be told, he couldn't wait to collapse on his bed, laced boots not withstanding.  

                But feeling the cotton of his undershirt stick to his back with sweat, Heero decided to snag a quick shower first.  Grabbing the necessary toiletries, he ducked into the shower, and seconds later, the sounds of splattering water droplets could be heard.  

L2

                Finished with his typing, Duo checked the clock on the wall, biting his lip as he calculated the time difference between his colony and his email's destination.  

                _Hmm, should be around 10 there.  Perfect._

Sanq Kingdom, Earth

                With a towel wrapped about his hips and another draped around his neck, Heero stepped out of his bathroom just in time to hear his laptop bleep for his attention.  Expecting to see another file sent from Dr. J, Heero was surprised enough to twitch an eyebrow when he read that an email was incoming from Duo.  

                "'Possible Life-changing Document?'"  he harrumphed, deadpan as always.  "We'll see." 

                Heero was tempted to just delete the email.  Knowing Duo, it was probably some pointless chain mail the guy was too anal to ignore.  Probably actually believed the threat of "if you do not send this immediately to 500 people in the next two minutes, you'll have bad luck for the rest of your miserable life" crap.  But despite himself, Heero was intrigued.  

                Opening the file, Heero was again surprised by what he found:

_Hiya buddy,_

_                Trust me, you'll feel like killing me now for wasting your time… BUT… if you play your cards right… this could be your ticket to heaven._

_A Few Reasons Why Guys Like Girls…_

                At first, Heero scoffed at the ridiculous list of reasons, but as he kept reading, memories of seeing Duo and Hilde in the many situations the reasons proposed brought an ache to Heero's chest that just would not go away.  

_                'The way their heads always find the right spot on your shoulder.'  _Duo's shoulder was without a doubt, Hilde's favourite resting place.

_                'The way they smile.'  _Duo was always dazzled by Hilde's ready smile.

_                'The way they look good no matter what they wear.'  _Duo didn't care what Hilde looked like, as long as she was his girl.

                The second last paragraph hinted at the reason why Duo had sent the email to him, but Heero didn't fully understand until he'd read his final words:

                _I can safely say that Hilde and me have already been through all twenty-five of those reasons, but I can list off about another hundred, if you asked.  You're probably wondering why I gave you this.  It's simple, really.  It all comes down to one question about your relationship with her:_

_                HOW MANY CAN YOU CHECK OFF?_

_You'll thank me later,_

_D.M._

                Heero sat at his desk, losing track of the time as he stared blankly at his laptop.  Her.  They needn't mention names when it came to discussing the one woman in his life who'd single handedly wormed her way passed his defenses and straight into his heart.  Heero scrolled through the list again, and found that though he and Relena had been in close proximity for over two years, he was only able to relate to several of the reasons.  

                '_The way their tears make you want to change the world so that it doesn't hurt them anymore.'  _Did that ever hit close to home.  Wasn't that the reason he'd fought for her all this time?

                Heero shook his head sharply, wondering at the thoughts he was having.  Well, no matter.  The email had no redeeming value to it, he was going to kill Duo the next time they crossed paths, and as soon as he deleted it, he was going to sleep.  Heero scrolled up the screen to find the delete button but stopped midway, his eyes narrowed.  Once he'd read the title of the list, he'd only skimmed it carelessly, overlooking the fact that one reason had been typed in upper case.  Reading it with close attention, Heero knew why.

                And after a minute of hard thinking, Heero continued his scroll up towards the top of the page and hit a different button, turning his eyes in the direction of a once quiet machine.  Seeing the paper swiftly make its way out of the printer, he quickly closed his email and dressed.  

                …_this could be your ticket to heaven..._

After quickly assessing that he was presentable, Heero strode towards his bedroom door, snatching the paper from the tray and a red pen as he passed.  Looking over the words, he reread Duo's question as he circled a reason in bright red ink.

_                HOW MANY CAN YOU CHECK OFF?_

_                "_Hn," He'll try for the one that stood out the most to him.  The one Duo seemed to be pushing him to; the only one in upper case.  

                Relena heard the knock on her bedroom door and called out for whomever it was to enter, surprised a second later to see who it was.

                "Heero,"

                "Relena,"

                "Yes?"

                "I have something to say…"

5:00 a.m.

                As the first pink ribbons of the sunrise shot through the sky, he awoke to the sensation of a soft warmth enveloping him and smiled.  Running a hand through her golden locks, Heero found himself the object of two sleepy, blue-green eyes blinking slowly up at him.  

                "Morning," he whispered.

                "Mm, morning, Heero," Relena sighed, smothering a yawn.  "Is it time to get up?"

                Heero shook his head and pulled Relena even closer.  "Not yet."

                "Good," she replied, her voice muffled against his chest.  "I kind of like it where I am."

                They stayed where they were for a while, until Heero felt Relena's breathing grow deeper and knew that she'd fallen back asleep.  He didn't mind.  He had lot on his mind.  Like how his life was irrevocably changed by last night and the email he had been so close to deleting.  He looked over at the table to where the printed email laid and the one reason that had started a new future for him.  The one in upper case.

                "Reason sixteen: THE WAY THEY KISS YOU WHEN YOU SAY, 'I LOVE YOU,"

                He'd meant what he'd said last night, and got much more than kiss.  Heero smiled at the thought and pressed a kiss lightly on Relena's head before allowing his eyes to fall shut.

                Guess he really did have to thank Duo later.  

Notes:  Tada!  The end :) Hope you liked!  This is to lighten the mood since my last post _Blonde, Blue-Eyed Ladies_ which was angst galore for those of you who read it.  I hope this makes up for the rather long period of time I've been gone.  But yeah, I don't have much else to say except please review!  I get so cheesed when I read your reviews, and it just makes me want to write all the more!  See how that goes?  I write, you review, I write some more, and we're all one big happy fanfic family.  Email me if you want too!  That's even better…

** Nope, that wasn't a typo!  Think it came from _The Simpsons _ – from Homer, most likely.  Figures, eh? 


End file.
